The Book of Fortunes
by SpiffyLilSpaz
Summary: Traveling to Elrond's, Legolas finds a girl he had dreamed of on the plains. Now he and the girl must not only aid the Ringbearer, but also complete their own destiny, equipped with only a bow, a rusty sword, a demonic book, and multiple voices.
1. Prophesies

The Book of Fortunes

Chapter 1: Prophesy

Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings nor any of the characters, even though I should

The dreams led him here. Prophesies, really. On a journey that would already change his life forever, he would meet someone who would turn it upside down completely. That is all he knew until the summons, the news of the finding of the One Ring. What had once seemed like yearnings of a lonely heart was now shaping into reality.

For, though he was well liked and liked many himself, he still found himself waiting. Waiting for someone he would share his eternal life with, to share everything with. Many of his peers had already settled down, content with their partner. Indeed, many tried to gain the place in his heart. Nevertheless, he never found any of them worthwhile.

Now he was contemplating all of these things, riding to the home of Elrond, who was to head the council. The council was to decide the fate of the world.

On the windswept plains, he felt unease, the absence of trees being a constant reminder of his not belonging in such a place. Indeed, the lack of foliage other than the dried grass underfoot led him to be overly watchful. He easily spotted the black smudge in the horizon. Silently signaling to his companion, he slowly approached the area, wary of an ambush at any point.

As he crept forward, his thoughts drifted back to the dream. What could it mean? If it were true, it could still spell disaster for him. Death would definitely change his life completely, as much as a benevolent meeting would. When his horse finally came into direct view of the blackness, he was pulled abruptly from his thoughts.

There, lying three feet away, was a sleeping girl.


	2. Introductions

Chapter 2: Introductions

Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings or its characters... not yet at least

Note: Sorry, my writing style changed. I personally think it's an improvement, but you can decide

He quickly dismounted, forgetting all his caution. This girl required all of his attention, or so he believed. She was the person he is to meet, his heart told him. Of course, the gods would send someone beautiful to him.

It was true, she was quite exquisite. Her ruby red hair was fanned out around her, giving the impression of a fallen angel's radiant halo. She wore clothing that was quite alien to him, a black shirt with unreadable markings and leggings made of some unknown material. She twitched her slender fingers in her sleep, whimpering. He flinched at the melodiously sad sound. One part of him wanted to wake the slumbering creature, liberating her from her nightmare, while the other half was inclined to enjoy the view for a few more minutes. Finally, he knelt down, extending his arm to shake her, when her face caught his attention. A fairer face had never been seen in the whole of Middle Earth, though she was clearly human, and so meant to be flawed. Her skin was pale and fair, strands of hair giving contrast as it blew into her face on the soft wind from the east. Her lips were somewhat fuller than he was used to seeing on females, but it suited her well. Without knowing it, his hand changed course, brushing away the hair and tracing her lips.

Unknowingly, he was being watched by the girl. She wondered what to do with the handsome stranger invading her personal space. Finally settling for the direct approach, she grabbed his hands. Suddenly looking up from the lower part of her face, he met the curious stare of her jade green eyes.

Suddenly, she frowned. "That's strange… I was at the shop last I remembered. It's just like me to fall asleep on the job," her voice was as musical as the whimper had implied. She pinched herself and winced. "Damn, this isn't a dream."

Finally letting go of the man's hand, she took in her surroundings, paying close attention to the person in front of her. Both standing up, she offered her hand to him. "Hi, I'm Garnet. My mother had a sense of humor about the hair."

Taking the hand, he bent and gently kissed it, keeping his eyes on her now blushing complexion. "And I, my fair lady, am Legolas." As Garnet tried to look at anything other than the man in front of her, she suddenly froze as her gaze landed on the book at her feet.

Sensing her distress, Legolas picked up the object of her attention and examined it. It seemed plain enough, bound in black leather with no title on it. Opening it, he found that all of the pages were blank, except for a page with the same markings as were on the girl's shirt. Looking up questioningly, he saw that she was shaking.

"That's the book I was reading before I ended up here," she haltingly explained. "I was going through a bin of antique books donated to my aunt's shop. It did not have anything in it when I first looked, so I was about to throw it away. I dropped it and it opened to that page. I read it out loud… and the next thing I know, here I am," smiling weakly at the last sentence, before falling to the ground.

Legolas cried out at her collapse. Grunting, she raised on an elbow. "Don't worry, I'm just a little tired…" she managed to bite out, before completely losing consciousness.


	3. Dreams

Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings, mainly because my time machine is still in the development phase. For some strange reason, the government has not sent me the radioactive material I asked for…

Chapter Three: Dreams

"Where am I now?" Garnet whispered into the darkness, echoing a hundred fold in this abyss. The darkness was almost tangible, so thick she was sure if she cupped her hand, black would gather in it, like condensation on a humid day. The only other sound that was in this dismal place was rustling, signs that there was something else in this nightmare. That something started laughing at her, if it could be called that. It sounded more like hissing than any form of mirth. A strange man appeared in front of her, enlightened by a red aura. He wore an insane grin on his deathly pale youthful face, framed by hair as black as their surroundings. His red eyes shone from behind the curtain of hair. The rest of him was as bare as the day he was born.

"Welcome to my humble abode, love," he called with a slight British accent. His voice was raspy, sounding like papers rustling against each other. Eyeing him with mistrust, she called back, "And where might this place be, might I ask?" In the blink of an eye, he was a yard away from Garnet, studying her closely, like a piece of art he considered buying. "Oh, within this blasted book those meddling wizards put me in. You know, when I first picked you, I thought you were a man from the strength in your mind, but I'm rather glad you aren't. You're the first girl I've had, I'll try to make you last, okay?" The psychotic smile was turned to her on this last sentence, sending chills down her spine.

"What do you mean, when you chose me," she irreparably asked. She did not like this man, for some unknown reason. "Now, now, don't be like that," he breathed on her lips, now right in front of her. He smelled of dust and darkness. Garnet had no time to react before his lips pressed against hers. His hands held her head, keeping her from pulling away. He wouldn't stop, no matter how hard she pushed against his bare chest. He finally broke away, looking quite vexed. "Damn elf, ruining my fun. You best wake up now, love…"

The surroundings started to dissolve around her. The strange man waved to her erratically. "Until next time, love," he called as he disappeared. Next thing she knew, she was leaning against someone. Looking up, she was relieved to see Legolas' worried face peering down at her. "Thank you," she murmured before taking in her surroundings. They were on horseback, still on the plains where she had awoken. It was nearly dark, the sunset staining the golden straw with purple and red.

"We should make camp," Legolas shouted to the elf riding twenty feet ahead of them. Nodding, the leading elf stopped and dismounted. Legolas deftly guided his horse to stop next to the other, a chestnut mare with white socks. Quickly jumping off, he lifted her gently. "Are you alright, Garnet?" Concern graced his perfect face as the sunset painted it with scarlet, making her chest tighten. "Yes, I do now, Legolas. Thank you for waking me up," she replied too breezily for her own liking. _Come on, girl, you only met him today and you've been unconscious for most of it anyways, _her mental self shouted.

The leading elf watched the prince and the human girl with amusement. They had a matching blush and both were too busy studying their feet to notice it. It reminded him of his courting days two hundred years ago. He shook his head knowingly and started unpacking their food for the night. His sudden realizations made him gasp, breaking the spell gripping his charge. Whirling around, Legolas saw his elder frantically searching through the packs. "What's wrong? Did we lose something on the way?"

Scratching his head, the older elf straightened hesitantly. "No, no, nothing like that… it's just that we weren't counting on finding anyone out here, sir. We only have two bedrolls, so one of us will go without tonight."

"Garnet, you can have mine for tonight… we'll have reached Elrond's home by noon tomorrow. I will be fine sleeping on the ground," Legolas swiftly turned, again facing the dazzling beauty of the girl and the setting sun. _Crap… elves are just as quiet as cats when they move; _her mental self was being especially active. _They should wear collars with bells, so that people don't have a heart attack. _Smiling at the mental image, she shook her head and explained, "I don't feel tired, and after all, I've been sleeping all day. Besides, you've already been too kind, I can't ask for anymore…" At that opportune moment, her stomach growled, "…Except for some food."

Both elves now laughing, they started setting up the camp. After much effort, Garnet learned that there was a skill to cooking roots, which she seemed to lack. Chewing on the charred remains of hers, she pondered over what had happened. _It's all that damn naked man's fault. He said something about it… _Coldness seeped into her mind, its icy tendrils turning her mind black. **_Oh, I might have said something along those lines, love_**, the whisper held a small portion of affection, but most was just amused. _**Really, you don't have room to complain. Not only do you get your beautiful blonde bastard, but you also get the undying attention of yours truly. What more could you ask for, love? **How about privacy in my mind, Mister… um, what's your name? _A soft chuckle, crisp and crackly like old parchment, echoed through her thoughts, serpentine and predatory in the same note. _** Did you really think I would give it to you free of charge? No, you'll need to do something for me, love… how about another kiss, this time with feeling. **How about not, and I'll ignore you… or force you into submission, _she grinned internally at this. Playing a medley of Christmas tunes off-tune in her head, he finally stopped after the fifth round of Jingle Bells.

Turning her attention back to the outside world, her attention was caught by the dancing flames. They fluxed and flickered, bobbed and weaved, forever cursed to continue their lonely waltz until they burned themselves to embers. The unsteady light they gave off made the world a dark and mysterious place. Everything was made dangerous and unknown, with the exception of Legolas. The sickly orange and yellow painted his face with wild colors, but he was still warm and friendly, while the rest of the world was made a land suited for nightmares. Turning back to the flames, she felt her cheeks burning, not from the heat, but from a blush. Keeping her eyes trained on the fire, hours passed, until her companions drifted off to bed. Finally left alone, she left herself contemplate her day again.

_This is all just a dream… _a voice whispered, a voice she thought she had gotten rid of… _It's all a hallucination, you'll be locked up again, straps and pills and needles… Enjoy it while you can… _All she could do was sit there taking the abuse, wishing she could hit the speaker, but it was in her head. It hadn't showed up for a year now, and she had thought it was gone for good, and she wanted to hit it badly. As she sat there, listening to the horrible voice, the only noise she made was a whimper. Unknown to her, elven ears hear over three times better than those of a human. Slowly sitting up, Legolas was greeted with the image of Garnet, curled almost into the fetal position, holding her head and shaking. He immediately crawled over to her, wanting to protect her from whatever was frightening her. _It's strange… no other person has made me feel like she has…_

She was surprised at the pair of arms that wrapped around her and lifted her onto Legolas' lap. After a few seconds however, she shifted, leaning against him but trying to hide her face. "What's wrong, Garnet?" He cooed, soothingly and lovingly. "What! Oh, um, nothing! Why do you ask?" In response, he simply ran his fingers on her cheeks, and showed her the tears. They glistened in the unsteady light, giving the flames shining partners for their elemental ball. Quickly wiping her eyes, she blushed, this time in shame. "I'm… afraid. Afraid of myself and what's happened…" Turning to him, she whispered, "… and I'm afraid that you're just a figment of my imagination." Struck silent by the statement, he had to wait for a few moments to regain the ability to speak sensibly. "Well," catching her chin to get eye contact, "I feel pretty real. But you can be the judge."

At this, he kissed her. He poured in all of his loneliness, his wants, his hopes and desires. He showed his true feelings, something even the most eloquent sonnet or life-like painting cannot even start to hint at. It was all she could do to not drown in the emotions, to push back. She matched it with her betrayal, her pain, her memories of anguish. They learned so much in the single gesture, their lips the only real things in their world. Her tears started to run their course again, but without his knowledge, Legolas also started to cry. She was the one to break away, feeling the coldness well in her mind again. _Not him, please! Not now, when I'm actually happy. **HAHAHA, but that's the best time, I just needed to inform you that I don't intend to allow him to tie the scores. **Scores? You're keeping count of how many times, and who, I kiss? **Exactly, love. **Wow, you're even more of a bastard than I realized. **Yes, love, but I'm the bastard of your dreams. **More like nightmares. **Whatever you wish, love. I'll bid you farewell for now. I really prefer talking to you face to face.**_

Looking up at Legolas, he couldn't help but notice the droplets of water running down his face. Mimicking his previous action, she showed him his own tears, smiling. "Well, I can see we're weepy old things tonight," she laughed, "I'm personally bushed from all the crying." Seeing confusion on his face, she felt obligated to explain. "Where I'm from, it means I'm tired." _Note to self: don't use sayings more than you have to… _"Well, as I said, you're welcome to my bed roll. We shall have proper beds tomorrow, I can do without for tonight."

"No, no… you don't need to. We could share it…" seeing the blush, she quickly corrected herself. "Not in that way! I meant that if we slept on our sides, we should have enough room. I've had to make due before, with my sister when we were little." Walking over to the bedding in question, she examined it briefly. "Hmm, well, it appears we'll have to stay close, but other than that we should be fine. Here, you lie down first, then I'll take the remaining room."

After much shifting, they finally reached the point where they were both happy with it. They were pressed together, Garnet in front, with Legolas' arms wrapped around her and his knees bent to meet the back of hers. Unknown to poor, they were, as we refer to it, spooning. And so they slept, his presence keeping her inner and outer demons at bay.

A/N: Sorry, y'all. My writing style changed again, even while writing this. That's what you get for reading the works of a self-proclaimed multiple personality girl. It's taken forever because I've been fighting a war against muffins, devouring all in sight so they can't multiply and spread their evil deliciousness throughout the entire world. On a positive note, there might _actually _be plot in the next chapter… maybe.


	4. Now It Finally Sinks In

Chapter Four: It Finally Sinks In

Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own Lord of the Rings. But I have this ingenious plan involving hamsters dressed in tiny three piece suits, and a hundred typewriters. See, if I can get them to type Shakespeare before the monkeys can, I'll be bloody rich!

A/N: Okay, even with my mad procrastination skills, I finished this chapter. It wasn't easy either. I must have cheesed off some higher power, because my computer decided to die with my first try at the chapter on it on Thursday. But, having promised a chapter on Halloween, I put it off until around three on Sunday and finished it in one fell swoop. Yay for me! Oh, and there's gruesome details in here for my best amiga, Annalise!

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The first things that set Garnet on edge when she woke up were the smells. Instead of the usual smell of incense and dust prevalent the room she had shared with her sister years ago, this place had an odor of grass and sunshine. And for some unexplained reason, her sister, who had the habit of snuggling when cold, smelled of trees and forgotten places, instead of her usual brown sugar and honey. The arm wrapped around her was muscular and tanned, definitely not her sister's. Trying to remember what had happened, she finally added it all together.

_Crap, it wasn't a dream… crappity crap crap. _Her mind was racing, stopping at one particular memory. A kiss, a perfectly chaste kiss, but full of desire, stood fresh in her mind. Cursing very softly, she opened her eyes and glared at a grasshopper that had been staring at her awhile, wondering if she was a strange plant. She crawled out of the elf's embrace, making sure not to wake him.

Remembering there was a creek nearby, she crept around the sleeping figures and their mounts to the sound of running water, hoping that a drink would keep her hysterics down. It had worked before, and she hoped it would work now. She had heard Kansas was a great place, full of rural charm, but she sure as hell wasn't there, thank you very much Toto. Giggling to herself, she reached the brook and knelt down to get a quick sip, looking all the well like a doe, pricking her ears forward to find intruders before quenching her thirst.

She was frozen by her reflection, a strangely familiar face looking up at her. Her hair had grown by a foot at least since the two days she last looked in a mirror. Her glasses were gone, but she was able to see perfectly well. She looked like her mother, her mother who had been dead for years. She splashed the water and drank from it while the reflection was distorted. A new world meant a new start, even if it's only temporary.

Standing up, she a quail's nest only a few feet away. Being raised in North Carolina for her childhood, she knew a thing or two about tracking game and preparing it. Sure enough, she found the parent quails, which she left alone to care for the eggs. She followed tracks to a rabbit's hole, luckily finding a lone male instead of another family.

She made quick work of the animal, snapping its neck, avoiding its pleading eyes. She went back to the camp, making sure to be quiet. She found a knife in Legolas' pack. She skinned and jugged the rabbit expertly, keeping the pelt clean and drying in the sun. She went back to the stream to wash up and found a suitable stick for a spit on the shore. Returning to camp, she rekindled the fire and set the spit up between rocks. She buried the entrails, like giant worms, in a clear spot, leaving the real worms a treat to find.

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Legolas woke to the smell of cooked meat, a little dazed. He had woken from the most amazing dream. A girl he could love and would love him back was only the stuff of wishes and dreams. Opening his eyes, he was suddenly taken aback. The dream girl was right in front of his eyes. She hummed to herself and had her back turned to him. _Oh, Garnet, you're real. If only the kiss had been. _He knew it couldn't be true. The kiss had been too surreal to have been real, even if she was. He knew he would never have the courage to kiss her in real life, scared of what the others of his race might think.

Stretching quietly, much like a cat, he got up silently. Striding to the fire, he saw the source of the delicious smells of cooking meat. The remainders of a rabbit hung from a spit. The rest was cut and placed on a clean black cloth, taken from Garnet's loose shirt. She had also cut a strip and used it to loosely tie her hair, and was cutting the meat into shapes out of boredom. Littered around her were strands of grass braided together, bits of fabric cut from her shirt and breeches, as well as chunks of wood taken from the spit.

He chuckled, startling the woman in front of him. "I see that you can be destructive when you're not occupied." Garnet smiled up at him, a mischievous gleam in her eyes. "I'm destructive most of the time, but I'm worse when I have nothing else to do. The rest of the time, it's an accident. Now then, I suggest you eat. I had to do something to thank you for putting up with me." She held up a piece of shaped meat to him. It was a shape he had never seen, almost an arrowhead, the piercing point and two opposite edges for balance. But the edges were curved instead of the usual swift intake. For some strange reason, a warmth grew in his chest.

Garnet was busy taking stock of the food. She wanted everyone else to eat before she did, and she had already chosen their allotted shares. She wanted to make sure her failed experiments, one in particular, were in her part. Getting her first piece, she noticed that it wasn't she had planned on. She had lined the heart up so that it would be first, before the others could see it. In her destructive trance, she had only been half aware of her cutting this shape.

She had retreated into her mind after the drink had only added to the panic instead of getting rid of it. It was the next step in her calming process. Bed sheets, curtains, and disliked clothing had been put to the blade in this trance-like state. She had never been constructive enough to repair the torn and tattered remains, so she always had to replace them.

Now she looked frantically, trying to find the embarrassing food. She looked up, realizing where it had gone. Sure enough, the elf was eyeing the bite-sized piece, hesitating to eat it. Trying to redeem herself, she quickly teased the elf. "You know, I'm pretty sure that it won't do tricks, no matter how long you look at it. I can cook a rabbit, my mother made sure of that."

Legolas, quite embarrassed, stole an abashed look at the smiling girl a few feet in front of him. He nibbled at the meat, then started biting into it in earnest. He had been too worried about the council awaiting for him, and later his new companion, to hunt. He didn't want to sunder the holy rite of killing to survive with his paltry concerns. He hadn't known how much he missed the taste of animal flesh, until he had some. He nodded thankfully to the cook when he was done. A quick flash of a grin was flashed at him as she handed him another piece and indicated his pile.

When the group had finished chewing on their cloud and rainbow shaped rabbit nuggets, they cleaned up the camp leaving it as the had found it. Riding once more to the west, Garnet leaned back onto Legolas. She was sure that this much riding was going to give her bowlegs, but she still felt a thrill. She was on a horse for the first time, going somewhere she had never been. In her lap was the book, which had been too large for the pack. Inside the pages, something waited and planned.

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A/N: From now on, the A/Ns shall be called Sami notes, because I say so. I hope y'all liked this. I tried to lengthen it, but it's not the best, since I only had six days to write it. Please review and give me some pointers. As long as it isn't grammar, then I'll take your advice. When I hear whining about grammar, I makes my believe that my writing was so boring that you were checking if it should be 'lie' instead of 'lay,' instead of really enjoying the story.


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